Lalley: Dakotaman down, on to Wall Lake triathlon

Jun. 21, 2013

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Weíre in what one might call the peak season for triathlon in Sioux Falls.

While there are races nearly every weekend somewhere in the region, there are really only two triís in the metro.

For better or worse, they come back to back.

Last Saturday was the Dakotaman and this Saturday is the Wall Lake Sprint Triathlon.

The races are similar in many respects, both are sprints Ė though Wall is a bit shorter on the swim and the bike Ė and both are very well run.

But there are differences, which is what makes it interesting.

For whatever reason, Dakotaman just seems harder, the level of competition just a little higher. Maybe it seems that way to me because it was the first triathlon I ever did in open water. It was a bit windy that day and the water was pretty cold. Lake Alvin felt like it was a mile across, not the 300 yards that organizer Howie Bich assures me is the reality.

The bike course seems hilly and the run is uphill for nearly a mile right out of the shoot. I always suffer that first mile more than I think I should.

There are some great racers every year at Lake Alvin.

ďWhen did these old guys get so fast?Ē I asked myself, looking at the result this year.

I was very happy to finish in the top 20, yet I was still seventh in my age group of 40-49. There were three guys in that range who finished in the top 10.

Itís even more impressive when you consider how many good, young racers there are out there.

It should be noted that the course favored the runners a bit more than normal this year. Because of higher than normal level of fecal matter in the water, there was a swim advisory at Lake Alvin. So the race was changed to a duathlon, which meant we ran a mile, then rode the bikes, then did the 5k.

Itís not what we expected but it was actually fun to do something a little different.

But if youíre a good swimmer, the format cuts into your advantage.

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It was another fun day, and we were able to squeeze in the race just before a pretty nasty storm rolled into the area.

Wall Lake has its own character.

The race is sponsored by Sanford Wellness Center and is the culmination of a lot of training for members there. So itís usually a bigger field and a little less experienced than the Dakotaman.

The swim is shorter, the bike is shorter, but that doesnít mean anything if youíre doing your first tri.

Itís still open water and a mass start with all the kicking and scratching that goes with it.

So thatís fun.

Itís only a week later, but for whatever reason, Wall Lake always seems a lot warmer and more humid than Dakotaman.

Sanford does a good job of creating a festive atmosphere at the finish, with music and a pretty nice crowd cheering on the runners no matter what the time.

Which is really the point, isnít it?

Triathlon is a celebration of accomplishment. For a lot of the participants it means conquering something they never dreamed they could do. Itís the culmination of weeks of hard work and the reward for living a healthy lifestyle.

Thatís true wherever you are, whatever the distance, or however far down the list you finish.